I was regretting the past and fearing the future.
Suddenly my Lord was speaking, “My name is I AM.”
He paused, I waited. He continued.
“When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I Was.
When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there.
My name is not I Will Be.
When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am here.
“My name is I AM.”
Sharing:
· God led Israel by visual things (cloud; pillar of fire – we’d complain it’s cloudy, and it’s too hot!); we don’t need these visual things because we can see the hand of God in life in the everyday things of life.
God led Israel into Amalekite territory, the descendants of Amalek, grandson of Esau. The first introduction we have of ‘Joshua’ is as a military leader, required to choose “some men” to “fight Amalek” (Exodus 17:9), and teach the nation that God gives the victory!
The institution of the Passover began a New Year for Israel (Exodus 12:2): “This month shall be your beginning of months.” The Old Testament calendar has its roots in two things: the system of festivals and the agricultural cycle. The system of festivals, instituted by Moses, began with the “Passover,” which commemorated the Exodus for the nation of Israel from Egypt. Nearly all references to months are by number from this starting-point.
1. Nisan (Abib) – Religious New Year | March/April | 7. Tishri (Ethanim) Civil New Year | Sept/Oct |
2. Iyyar (Ziv) | April/May | 8. Marchesvan (Bul) | Oct/Nov |
3. Sivan | May/June | 9. Kislev | Nov/Dec |
4. Tammuz | June/July | 10. Tebet | Dec/Jan |
5. Ab | July/Aug | 11. Shebat | Jan/Feb |
6. Elul | Aug/Sept | 12. Adar | Feb/March |
Yahweh insisted His people ‘remember’ – ‘keep in mind’; ‘do not forget’ – the way in which He freed them by celebrating the Passover in two more ways:
· The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 13:6): “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord.” Why? Exodus 13:8: “You shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’” What’s more, Israel needed a reminder that “a strong hand has brought you out of Egypt” (v.9).
· The Law of the Firstborn (Exodus 13:11-16): Firstborn of humans and cattle were sacred to Yahweh. Like the firstfruits of the harvest (Exodus 23:16; 34:22), the firstborn from the womb represented God’s claim to all. The Lord’s judgment on the firstborn in Egypt is the explanation for His claim on the firstborn in Israel, a claim made both as Creator and as Judge. The firstborn were spared only through the blood of the Passover lamb. Subsequent generations must also be redeemed, in ways they would later find out. Israel needed a reminder of the price they paid for their freedom from bondage in Egypt.
Was it the firstfruits of the harvest that Cain offered?
Sharing:
· The issue with Cain’s offering seems to be his attitude.
· Genesis 4:5 seems to indicate that Cain and his offering are not accepted by God. Verse 7 says that if Cain does well he will be accepted, but the question remains whether it was Cain’s attitude that God rejected him and his offering, or was it both his attitude and offering.
· It is important to remember that Cain and Abel brought offerings, which were tributes to God, and not sacrifices for sin. It specifically states that Abel brought of the firstborn, whereas Cain simply brought an offering of the fruit of the ground.
· It seems that it was not so much what was brought, but the attitude of their hearts.
· Maybe Cain was unhappy with Abel before the offering, so he presented his offering with a wrong attitude.
· It is interesting to look back in the story where we have already lived (in this case it is in Genesis) and see if there is further development of the story as we progress into other Books. This is why we considered the firstfruits of the harvest in Genesis while thinking about them in Exodus 23.
· Is there any connection between Cain and Abel’s offerings and the shedding of blood for the coats of skin (Genesis 3:21) to clothe Adam and Eve? Blood had to be shed to provide this covering.
Why is it so difficult to remember what God has done for us?
Sharing:
· We are sheep and just go about our business.
· If God made us amenable to His word, it would be too easy - it doesn’t take living by faith.
· We prefer to try and do things ourselves without recognizing God.
· We depend upon ourselves.
· Pride is our problem!
· We take personal credit for what we accomplish, instead of attributing it to God.
· We take things for granted, so need reminding what God has done.
· Part of our walk with God is to keep remembering where we are with God.
· We have so much information in our culture but that does not tell us how to live. We think we have answers just because we have a lot of information. God tells us how to use it. We easily use Scripture as information instead of seeing it as part of our relationship with God. It is more than just remembering; it involves relating.
· Acquiring information is not enough; we are to do something with it. The blessing comes in the ‘doing’.
· It was important for the Israelites to tell their sons because it needed to be passed on to us and all those in between.
We have already learned that community is complex and difficult. A community needs nurturing and guidance. The point of the exodus is not freedom from bondage so that Israel would be free to take care of themselves, but freedom to serve Yahweh. God instructed Moses to say to Pharaoh in Exodus 7:16: “Let My people go, that they may serve Me…” Pharaoh’s servants even got the message, so they said to their king in Exodus 10:7: “Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God.” Pharaoh even gave in four times, starting out by saying in Exodus 10:8: “Go, serve the Lord your God.” It didn’t take long for Israel to reveal that they hadn’t yet understood they were freed from bondage, not for God to serve them, but for them to serve God. With the Egyptian chariots behind them, and the shores of the Red sea in front of them, they fired Moses as their leader: “Let us alone.” Why? “…that we may serve the Egyptians” (Exodus 14:12). After their deliverance, Exodus 14:31 says: ‘Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and His servant Moses.’
Sharing:
· Do fear and respect go hand in hand? It depends upon the relationship.
· Maybe it has to do with a fear of being hurt, or a fear because of respect.
· We can rightfully be afraid of what God can do when we disobey.
· There can be fear of being hurt, and fear of righteous anger, which is scarier!
· There are different types of fear: fear of cruelty and fear of righteous punishment.
· The commands of God are given, not for bondage, but rather to assure us how to live right.
Israel needed provision for God’s terms for service, and this came in the form of “the Book of the Covenant” (Exodus 24:7), which included the ‘Ten Commandments’, and is followed by a list of regulations. It is the oldest record we have of Jewish law. It consists of ‘judgments’ (case-laws, statutes, straight-forward commands). It has distinctive features from the other ancient law-codes:
· The whole code rests on the authority of God, not an earthly king.
· There is no division between civil and religious law. In the Bible legal, moral, and religious laws are inseparable, showing God’s concern for life as a whole.
· There is one law for all, whatever a person’s status. Regulations protecting the weak and helpless (slaves, orphans, widows, foreigners) are particularly noticeable.
· A high view of human life is demonstrated by fixed, limited penalties – one crime means one punishment.
This summary of Exodus 20-23 fills in the details of the ‘Ten Commandments’:
· General instructions about worship (20:22-26).
· Civil laws (21:1-23:13): the right of slaves (21:1-11); manslaughter and injury to human life (21:12-32); injury, theft, and damage to property (21:33-22:15); social and religious obligations (22:16-31); justice and human rights (23:1-13).
· Laws for the three main feasts: Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Harvest (23:14-19).
· God’s undertakings for His obedient people (23:20-33).
God’s way is to use servants. The servant enters into what has already been decided by the Master. The servant doesn’t know the whole story, doesn’t know the end from the beginning. All the servant needs to know is the desires of his Master, even thought there is far more going on, both good and evil, than he has any knowledge about. A good servant is content to trust and obey and honor the sovereign Yahweh who is always present.
The giving of the Law at Mt. Sinai was accompanied by Yahweh’s presence in thunder, fire, earthquake, and lightning. Exodus 20:20 explains why: “Do not fear, for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” The law was given, not to make Israel sinners, but to deal with their sins according to God’s requirements.
The first four commands concern Israel’s relationship to God, the remaining six concern their relationship to one another. The commandments show God’s concern for the whole of life. He sets out standards for governing:
· Family relationships
· Regard for human life
· Sexual purity
· Property
· Speech
· Thought
These Ten Commandments were also known as the ‘ten words’. They are also known as the ‘Decalogue’ – ‘the ten sayings’. In form, they follow the standard pattern of Near Eastern treaties. Refer to Exodus 20:2-17:
· The title identifies the author of the covenant: “I am the Lord your God.”
· The historical prologue describes the past relations of the two parties: I “brought you out of the house of bondage.”
· Obligations imposed on the vassal (party involved): accompanied by ‘blessings’ – “You shall have no other gods before Me” (continues through verse 17); ‘cursings’ “visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children...”
Sharing:
· Israel broke the treaty even while it was being written!
· They were used to a visual god; now they were to have none of them.
· These are commandments; not suggestions.
· It’s easy to think it was boring to be an Israelite; instead of being a bunch of boring laws it’s God saying, “I want to be with you.” He would have had to destroy them if He hadn’t done it His way.
· It’s easy to be hard on the Israelites, but they were just beginning on a journey of faith. We would probably do the same as we struggle on our own journey of faith.
While reading the story you will notice twelve forbidden things in the Law and twelve forbidden things punishable by death. All of them are intended to nurture and guide the nation, and keep them from sin. Remember the nation’s response in Exodus 24:7 (WEB) to these regulations: “All that Yahweh has spoken we will do, and be obedient.” Do we have good intentions when we read and think about God’s Word? The blood sprinkled on the people puts the covenant into effect, and it signifies cleansing from sin, which allows the people to enter the covenant relation, with death being the penalty for breaking it. Israel concluded with a meal as the heart of fellowship in the Near East: they ate and drank (Exodus 24:11).
Sharing:
- God’s laws are for our best interest and are not just a set of legalistic rules.
- We know exactly what to do so that we are never left wondering.
- Instead of laws to ruin life, God’s laws enable us to be together with God.
- Praying the ‘Ten Commandments’ gives us a new view on how they relate to us.
Someone suggested God continued with the commandments, and they read something like this:
The 11th through 20th Commandments
11. Thou shalt not worry, for worry is the most unproductive of all human activities.
12. Thou shalt not be fearful, for most of the things we fear never come to pass.
13.
14. Thou shalt handle only one problem at a time, and leave the others to the Lord until their turn comes up.
15. Thou shalt not take troubles to bed with you, for they make very poor bedfellows.
16. Thou shalt not try to carry the problems of the world on your shoulders, for nobody (except for One) has a back that is broad enough.
17. Thou shalt be a good listener, for God often speaks to us through the mouths of others.
18. Thou shalt not try to relive yesterday; for good or ill, it is forever gone. Live in the now and rejoice in it.
19. Thou shalt firmly dismiss feelings of frustration, for 90% of it is rooted in self-pity and will interfere with positive action.
20. Thou shalt count thy blessings, never overlooking the smallest, for our biggest blessings are composed of many small ones.
“The Law was broken in the people’s hearts before it was broken by Moses’ hand” (Henrietta C. Mears).
The solution includes two provisions:
· Portability: God had revealed Himself to His people from atop Mt. Sinai. When the people left Sinai for the promised land of Canaan, they would need some portable place for God’s presence to be manifested. Since the tabernacle was a tent, the problem of portability was solved.
· Communion: The tent curtains, and especially the thick veil, served as a separator, a dividing barrier, between God and the people. Beyond this, the tabernacle was sanctified and set apart as a holy place. This spared the people from an outbreak from God which would have destroyed them. Also, the tabernacle was a place of sacrifice, so that the sins of the Israelites could be atoned for. While the solution was not permanent, it did facilitate communion between God and His people.
The excellence of the tabernacle, both in its materials and its workmanship, was a reflection of the holy God: “It shall be to you holy for the Lord” (Exodus 30:37). The pattern of the tabernacle came from God: “According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it” (Exodus 25:9). Over and over in the account of how the tabernacle is to be made, this phrase appears: “And they shall make…” (e.g. Exodus 25:10).
The detailed description of the tabernacle sums up the truth that God intends His people to worship Him according to His will and not their own pleasures and traditions. Every so often God’s Story describes how Yahweh specifically chooses someone to fulfill His tasks. In Genesis 41:38 the Pharaoh of that time recognized Joseph, and said to his servants: “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” In preparation for the construction of the tabernacle, Exodus 31:1-2 says Yahweh filled “Bezalel… with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design” the tabernacle. All of the people would benefit from the tabernacle, and thus all were permitted to participate in its construction, either by their donations of materials, or of skilled labor, or both.
Those chosen as priests are reminded by their garments that they served the holy God. It says in Exodus 28:36 (WEB) that Aaron was required to wear a plate of pure gold with the engraving: ‘HOLY TO YAHWEH.’ The priests were warned in the proper administration of their office “lest they die” (Exodus 30:21). God was serious about moving into the neighborhood to dwell with His people: “I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God” (Exodus 29:45). His purpose was to live among them continuously, so he says that “when Aaron lights the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations” (Exodus 30:8). The tabernacle is not conceived of as a temporary measure for a limited time, but one in which the permanent priesthood of Aaron serves throughout all their generation.
Sharing:
· The tabernacle was the solution to having a holy God dwell in the midst of sinful people.
· The priests were made aware that they were to serve God according to His requirements ‘lest they die’. How seriously do we take worship?
How can we improve our ‘lifestyle worship’?
Sharing:
· We seem to be very casual in our worship of God.
· We should be working toward very little separation between how we are when we gather together for public worship and the rest of the week.
· We should have relationships during the week to encourage each other. Hang out together during the week to be involved in each other’s lives.
· We should pray for more hunger for a relationship with God so that we thirst for the Lord. We can then respond to that God-given hunger through worship. We need to enjoy our time with God.
· Remember the day of your salvation.
· How we act during our public worship time is a reflection of our life of worship.
· We should not separate life from worship.
· We should study the Bible to know God’s requirements for worship.
· The problem of fitting in time for reading the Bible needs to be solved.
· We need accountability with one another to keep us on track in our worship. When in relationship we are being watched!
· When we gather for our public meetings we should consider the entire time together as worship as God is revealing more of Himself to us through His written Word.
· It involves relationship. I remember after my mother’s death that I was concerned that she was watching me! I needed to remember that God was watching me!
Moses received the pattern of the tabernacle during his forty days on Mt. Sinai. The actual building of the tabernacle was temporarily suspended because of Israel’s attempt to worship God through an image of an Egyptian god in the form of a golden calf. This was only six weeks after Israel made a solemn covenant-pledge with Yahweh. They struggled with a spiritual worship of God, so inclined their hearts towards the idolatry they were accustomed to in Egypt. Aaron showed his weakness in
What was the attraction to a golden calf?
Sharing:
· People went back to what they knew – the strongest animal in Egypt was the greatest help to them. It’s like putting our trust in money as the strongest thing to us.
· They sought familiar things to them to trust in. We continue in the same way when we make things and celebrities our ‘idols’.
· Maybe the people wondered where Moses was. The story shows that they were afraid when God spoke, so maybe Moses was dead!
This creates a question many ask as God and Moses interact…
The Lord said to Moses in Exodus 32:10 (NLT): “...leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Moses tried to pacify God in Exodus 32:11(NLT): “Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people!” The Lord responded in Exodus 32:14 (NLT): ‘So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people.’
This is not the first time in Scripture that we have an account of God apparently changing His mind. You may recall God’s tragic statement during the time of Noah in Genesis 6:7: ‘And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.’
The word ‘sorry’ in Genesis 6:6 and the word ‘relent’ in Exodus 32:14 are the same in the Hebrew. It sometimes speaks of God ‘repenting’. When applied to God, it is always in the context of when man changed. God is able to condition His response on how humans change, which He already knew would happen. When the Scriptures use words such as ‘repent’ in relation to God, as one Bible Dictionary (New Unger’s) says, it is ‘an accommodation of language to express the truth… that God acts, and His actions vary with reference to different ends’. It is the perfection of God that He changes not in character, will, purpose, or aim. God ‘changes His mind’ with regard to the punishment or blessing appropriate to the situation. He changes the revelation of His will. He first told Moses that He was going to destroy Israel (Exodus 32:10). Then He revealed that He was not going to destroy Israel due to the intercession of Moses (verse 14). This is also demonstrated when God told Abraham to offer his son Isaac. Genesis 22:2 and 12 says: “Take now your son… Isaac… and offer him there as a burnt offering… Do not lay your hand on the lad.” God’s revealed will first commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son. Then as he lifted the knife, God revealed that he was not to kill his son, for God revealed His purpose.
In all of these incidents, there are faithful men of God! Noah (Genesis 6:8 – found grace in the eyes of the Lord); Abraham (Genesis 22:18 – “obeyed My voice”); Moses (Exodus 32:26 – on the Lord’s side). God responded with mercy! What attributes of God trouble us the most?
Sharing:
· I thought God was harsher when I was 25! Now I’ve changed, so it is not God who has changed but my perspective of God.
· People were not hearing God. He wasn’t changing His mind; they were just not listening to Him.
· Think of God as merely ‘postponing’ His judgment because of His mercy.
· The word ‘relent’ indicates a less harsh punishment, so God still carried out what He said He would.
· God does not punish like we deserve, or we wouldn’t be here! There would only be a smoking crater left!
· God is not omniscient if He changes His mind.
· When I see God as ‘Father’ it is like going to Him for punishment or mercy.
· God is not changing His mind but is testing us to see if we are truly sorry.
· Some of God’s attributes are mercy, justice, ‘who listens’, powerful, Father (we can tell Him what we have done).
No comments:
Post a Comment